Three key takeaways from Carolina Panthers loss to Detroit Lions

D.J. Moore is “the guy”

The Panthers have been looking for a player of his caliber for a while now. Wide receiver D. J. Moore had a monster game on Sunday. In doing so, he showed that he may be the Panthers playmaking receiver of the future.

Moore caught seven passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Per catch, that breaks down to 22.4 yards per catch. He also scored the first touchdown of his career, certainly a milestone that should be celebrated. He made it look effortless out there. He was the deep threat that wide receiver Torrey Smith was supposed to be. Now, it appears that he is getting into a groove and really finding a role within the offense. This is great news, especially as far as his development is concerned. The more experience he can gain now, the better he will be down the road this season and next year.

On the year, he has 23 receptions for 317 yards and the touchdown. I could see those numbers increasing by the end of the year. For comparisons sake, he went toe-to-toe with Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Golladay caught eight passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. I had a feeling he would have a big game, and I was not wrong with my prediction. Golladay is slowly becoming one of the top playmakers in the National Football League and Moore is right behind him. It will be interesting to see what the latter can do as a follow-up performance next week.
No matter how the national media may spin it, one thing is certain. The loss on Sunday was not Cam Newton’s fault. Aside from the interception he threw, he also tallied 357 yards and three touchdowns. In what was a grind-it-out type of game, he kept the Panthers in the game the whole time.